VANITAS VANITATUM

Ladies' Mirror, Volume 3, Issue 9, 2 March 1925, Page 17

VANITAS VANITATUM

What could be smarter than this Sports Costume—the skirt of grey checked tzveed zvith szveatcr of orange Jersey cloth and the cloak of Harris tzveed, made reversible by its lining zvith the tzveed of the skirt.—Maison A ton.

Originality and “chic" arc the note displayed by this Sports creation of grey casavar with gussets, cuffs and buttons of white kid. The cape is made to be zoom zvith or without the coat.

La Maison Zimmennann produced this afternoon gown of black satin with tunic of white crepe-de-chine, ornamented with embroidery and black beads.

Chere Amie, — Here we are just entering upon the autumn season with plenty to interest us in the world of Fashion. Last month I gave you some idea of

coutouriers have striven hard to impose a "waist" on Fashion, but we have been emancipated too long from constricting outlines to take kindly to it again. Still, it is there for those who desire it. Generally it manifests itself in the merest line of pleats, or a tuck, or a slight shaping of the model to the figure. 'Course, Chere, you will agree that one of the most important items in the autumn and winter wardrobe is the "mauteau." It's so cosy, when there is a chill little breeze about, to snuggle down warm into a big fur collar. 'Sides, fur always looks so smart and becoming, and softens the lines. Black and white furs are the most used, though grey, and es- . pecially chinchilla, is much favoured. The great thing now is to have

what would be decreed for smart wear, and you could not do better this year than follow these hints. You can choose the line of your figure, chcre, as to whether you will retain straight boyish outline, or cultivate a slight waistline. Both will be en vogue this season. Parisian

WITH THE APPROACH OF AUTUMN, FEMININE THOUGHTS AGAIN TURN FASHIONWARD

your fur trimmings of the same shade as your material. Colour relief can be given by embroidery, or an exotic silk or satin lining. Fur coats, too, in the most lovely shapes, are much worn, and, in fact, are dc rigucur for evening wear. Nearly all the "manteaux" are worn with high collars, and fastened on the side with one or two buttons or a clasp. You can sometimes see the Directoire influence insinuating itself gently into a. few of the models. These have the waist marked fairly high by judicious shaping, and fall slightly full from the hips. The same rules apply to the coats of taillcurs. These are often so long as to leave only a few inches of the skirt visible. Although the skirt is short and narrow, the effect of slim

elegance in the line is maintained by the high collar of the jacquette. For ease and grace of movement, the skirt is either pleated or split at the side, and in most cases this

effect is carried out in the coat also. Our street frocks and afternoon dresses are still of an engaging simplicity of line (or so it seems), and their elaborate appearance is really due to the ingenious arrangement of pleats, flounces, gussets and aprons that characterise them. Many

of the models have long, tight-fit-ting sleeves, mould themselves to the form, and then, at the hips, break out into full circular flounces, or insertions of pleats, or slight draping. You think it is simple enough, ma mie, until you come to examine it, and then you realise that it takes a master-mind to conceive and execute such simple intricacy. A number of the evening models are made with a tunic effect, the tunic edge being weighted with broad bands of fur, or heavy embroidery. Sometimes it is a whole overdress stopping about six inches above the hem of an underdress of rich satin, or pleated georgette or lace. Sometimes it appears in the form of a deep frill or votane, either fluted or pleated. Sometimes it is just a wide panel back and front, held together at the sides with widely spaced bands of pearl or diamante trimming, giving the effect of slashing; sometimes cut in vandykes of petals, or hanging in fluted points at the sides, or front and back. Very rarely, it is draped. There is no end to the variations on this theme. None of them are cut very low, and all are sleeveless. Ma chere, Paris of the fertile brain has evolved two novelties this season. There are the most fascinating umbrellas to complete your autumn outfitshort and stumpy, with most elaborately carved thick handles in bone or ivory, or wood—the carving tinted with colours natural to the design, or else just one colour throughout. The ferrule is short and thick, and exactly matches the handle in size and design. Then, chere, dernier cri in modes is the wig of gold or silver thread to wear over bobbed hair in the evening. This solves the burning question of "bobbed or shingled." You can have them made in silk

thread, to match your gown, though that is rarer. - The small hat as the smartest wear for all occasions still persists. And so long as winds blow,- we shall find it the most practical and becoming. The chic little demi-voile is making its appearance again—often only a few inches of lace attached to the hat brim, and reaching about half the length of the nose. The hats themselves . are very plain as regards adornment, which often consists merely of a bow of ribbon, a cockade, a buckle, or a diamante ornament; but the materials used are rich and luxurious, and are their own adornment. The Parisienne can teach the fashionable world that "a good wine needs no bush" — in other words, that a rich material is its own supreme adornment, and that to attempt to disguise a poor material by elaborate trimmings is to show it up as tawdry. Parisian trimming is always of a nature to equal the model in richness of material, and is only sufficient to throw its beauties into relief, never into the shade. You will be interested to hear, ma chere, that low-heeled shoes, except for sport, are absolutely demode. They are never seen in the streets or on the boulevards. All shoes now have high Louis heels, and very long points, with a tongue and buckle coming well up over the instep. Much smarter, n'cstice pas? Straps are still to be seen, but not so much as lately. Well, chere, I think that completes my budget of news for this month. The seasons come round so quickly, or rather, seem to, in this hustling world, that I shall have to start looking about me for news of winter's Fashions for you. Au revoir, ma mie, till next month. Yours fashionably, Femina.